Disillusioned: A Stan Turner Mystery

William Manchee
Top Publications (2010)
ISBN 9781929976669
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (08/10)


Stan Turner is one busy man.  He has a wife and four young children.  He serves as the chairman of Collin County, attends law school at night, sells life insurance to help pay the bills, and acts as the campaign manager for the Republican candidate for state representative.  Even with all of that on his plate, he still vows to clear his friend who has been implicated in a murder-suicide.  Although he has no law enforcement background, the police work closely with Stan.  However, someone seems to anticipate their every move, leaving Stan and the police to wonder if it is merely coincidence or if someone is leaking information about their investigation.

Set in the 1970s, “Disillusioned” revolves around the presidential race between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and the ramifications that race could provide for the Republican Party.  In addition to the politics and political scandals, there are subplots including: a money laundering venture, a drug cartel, and many suspicious characters with skeletons in the closet.  The story line is good but I was somewhat disappointed with the use of the detective story cliche in which citizens who have no background in law enforcement or investigation are portrayed as more competent than the police.

The characters in this book are rather diverse.  Stan is flirtatious, idealistic, and a little too daring for his own good.  He sees the good qualities in people and is extremely loyal.  His wife Rebekah, on the other hand, is insecure and expects Stan to think only about the best interests of her and their children and to not get involved in other people’s problems.  Kristina Tenison is a young and beautiful politician whose value is rising within the Republican Party.  Through some lucky breaks, she has been given the opportunity to run for a seat as a state representative of Texas.  Or was something besides luck involved?

“Disillusioned” is volume nine of the Stan Turner mystery series.  It is written for an adult audience.  There is plenty of action for readers who like a thriller.  But there are also emotional scenes for those who like empathizing with the characters.

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